Naruto: The Dark Hokage
by Ninjafairytama
Summary: Kushina died protecting Minato and Naruto got the Ninetails power, but not all of it. Minato received the other half. Still grieving, Minato forms a plan to bring peace to the world, but he's going to need Naruto's help, and Naruto still needs to complete his training, so Naruto gets to join Team Seven. However, not all is it seems.
1. Chapter 1: Enter-Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze

**A/N Welcome to Naruto: The Dark Hokage! As for those of you that already have read some of my work, you know that I make things that you usually don't see. This of course, will be different than most of the 'Minato lives' au's as well. Note: Obito died, so Ninetails just showed up on his own. The Uchiha Massacre still happened as well. I'm not sure about Madara yet, though**

 **This will contain a stronger and a smarter Naruto, but he's not ridiculously op (yet). That won't happen for awhile.**

 **Enjoy!**

Buildings were destroyed and fire was on the streets. People screamed, trying to escape the monster that threatened their homes. Konoha, the Village in the Leaves, was being attacked by the Ninetailed Fox.

Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage, was the one who took it on. However, he didn't go alone. His wife, Kushina Uzumaki, who gave birth only moments before, came with him.

"How is he?" Minato asked, while he ran beside his crimson haired wife.

Kushina looked down at their newborn son who was sleeping peacefully.

"He's okay. He'll be fine. I'll make sure of it."

"We have to take care of the fox somehow and no one's attacks have worked. I'm afraid that there's only one way to deal with it."

The Ninetails was tall. It was bigger than any opponent than anyone in the village had every faced, making it easier for it to cause destruction. Its tails crashed into buildings and it cut down ninjas as they charged. Worse, the fox wasn't that far.

"Minato!" a voice called.

Minato looked up and saw the Third Hokage, Sarutobi. Some wounded ninja were retreating while others rushed out to fight the beast. They all used the strongest powers they had, but nothing worked.

"Third!"

Him and Kushina landed beside the Third Hokage.

"What's the situation?" Kushina calmly asked.

It always amazed Minato how she could be so calm, no matter how grave the situation was.

"Not good. The Ninetails arrived and started to attack the villagers. At this rate, the whole village will be destroyed."

Minato cursed silently. Kushina stared at the ground, scared, but determined. Minato knew what he had to do, but it wouldn't be easy.

"There's a way to stop it," he brought up.

"Minato, you can't!" Kushina shouted. "It's too risky!"

"It's the only way. You know it, too."

Kushina's eyes softened a moment, but she gazed back at him, the look in her eyes sharper than ever before.

"I'll help. I'll chain the Ninetails long enough so you can prepare the Jutsu. Then, you can do the rest."

"So, you're going to do that Jutsu? But, where are you going to put the Ninetails?" Sarutobi asked.

Minato's eyes faced Naruto, a sad, sympathetic look in them.

"No, I won't let you!" Kushina yelled, pulling her newborn close to her chest. "There has to be another way!"

"Kushina, would do it myself, but I'm the one performing the Jutsu, and you'll be busy holding back the Ninetails! There's no other way!"

"I'll call the troops back," Sarutobi said, before hopping in the direction the fox was.

Soon, many ninja fled, but some were cut down in the process. A dark ball of energy formed in front of the fox. Minato knew the attack would cause a mass amount of destruction, one that no man was capable of preventing.

"Let's go!"

"He still doesn't have a name!"

He knew she was referring to their child.

"Okay, but we can't wait much longer, or all three of us will die!"

"Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze. That will be his name. No matter what anyone else says, our child is the savior of Konoha, and will always be loved, even if we both perish."

Minato nodded.

"Welcome to the world, Naruto," Minato said, a soft smile on his face.

Kushina kissed Naruto on the forehead and handed him to Minato and he did the same. Then, she ran towards the fox and silver chains with a greenish glow shot out of her back and wrapped around its legs.

"Chains?!" it bellowed, its black orb of energy disappearing.

"These chains have the power to drain Chakra! Try all you want, but you can't break them as long as I stand here!"

Minato started chanting. Naruto began to cry.

'It'll be okay,' Minato wanted to say, but he honestly didn't know if it would.

"No!" the Ninetails yelled.

His chained paw rushed forward, attempting to reach Minato, but Kushina stepped in front of it.

The Shinigami burst free and Minato's eyes flew open. He turned and saw a claw sticking out of his lover's chest and blood running down her mouth.

"Kushina!"  
He ran over to her and grasped a hold of her, his Jutsu behind him.

"Finish the Jutsu," she instructed.

He nodded and made some handsigns.

Her chains disappeared and the fox screamed, only for it to vanish. Two orange masses of Chakra split up. One entered Naruto and another hit Minato. Seals appeared on their chests. Kushina's bloody body was now cradled in his arms.

"Kushina," he said, crying.

"Minato, I love you. Please take care of our son."

"I love you too."

Her body went limp.

"Kushina? Kushina!"

 _"_ _So much grief, so much pain, so much agony. She died because of your weakness, and an urge to destroy me. However, with this new power you possess, you can prevent others from suffering the same fate. I can help you and your son become the light the world needs. Just, take my hand."_

Minato looked up. He was in front of a cell that had two big glowing eyes in it. Rage took over and he grasped the fox's paw, despite his hatred for him. He would prevent others from going through what he did, no matter what the cost.

…

Naruto Uzumaki stood on top of the Hokage Tower and gazed down at Konoha. He wore a black jacket that his mother's symbol, a red circle imprinted on the back.

Naruto had a tragic story, despite his usual cheerful attitude. His mother died soon after he was born and father became cold. Not mean, just cold.

He began to train Naruto at a young age and as a result, Naruto was isolated from the rest of his peers. No one liked him anyways, since he was the host of the monster that tried to destroy the village twelve years earlier.

"Naruto," someone called.

Naruto looked back and saw Sarutobi, the Third Hokage standing behind him.

"What is it?"

"Your father wants to talk to you."

"Tell him I'll be there in a minute."

Sarutobi disappeared in a cloud of smoke and Naruto climbed into a window and ended up where Minato was: the Hokage room.

"Hello, Naruto."

"What is it, dad?"

"Sarutobi and I have been talking, and we think it's time for you to join a team."

"Me, on a team? Dad, I'm stronger than most of the ninjas here. What would being on a team do?"

"It would help prepare you for situations that you might have to face someday. I have spoken to an academy teacher and they've agreed to assign you to one, given a video I showed them of your training."

"Ugh, this is so stupid! I'm not doing this! Can't you just let me join the Anbu?!"

"Unfortunately, you haven't mastered your fox powers or your normal powers, so no. You need an extra push to help jumpstart the progress," Minato explained.

"Why, are you planning something?"

"Yes, I am trying to save the world. There are bad people out there, Naruto, and I need your help to stop them."

"And, how are we going to do that?"

"Right now, we aren't going to do anything. You are going to complete your training, and when it's done, then we'll talk. Until then, be nice to your teammates, and learn as much as possible."

"And, what about those that aren't on my team? I'm sure they won't approve of me being there, especially since I didn't go to the academy."

"Show them that you're not going anywhere, and nothing more. No killing."

"Fair enough."

"You will meet with your team tomorrow at eight. I will give you the room number."

"Who's going to be my sensei?"

"One of my old students, Kakashi Hatake. You know the story."

Naruto nodded. He knew of that and of how despair met all of them. Kakashi and Minato had it the hardest. They failed to save their other teammates, Rin and Obito.

"I'll do it, but you better talk to me afterwards."

"Will do."

Then, Naruto left, and the door loudly shut behind him.

…

A minute later, Sarutobi appeared beside Minato.

"How do you think he'll react when he finds out what you're planning?" he asked.

"Don't know. I will finish what I've started with or _without_ him."

Minato exited the area as well, leaving Sarutobi in silence.

 **A/N Interesting? I hope so!**

 **Minato has control over the Ninetails powers, but Naruto doesn't. Minato feels like he needs Naruto's help, his power, for his goal. I don't know exactly what will happen yet, but this is going to flow through the original Naruto story line. I might make a seperate story for Shippuden. Expect Gaara to show up sometime in this, though it'll happen differently than before.**

 **Till next time!**


	2. Chapter 2: Enter-Sasuke and Sakura

**A/N Hello! This chapter will take place around the time where Naruto met Sasuke, Sakura, and Kakashi. Team Seven will form, but differently than before. I hope you enjoy what I have planned!**

 **Note: Prankster Naruto isn't really a thing in this, but he can be devious at times. He's not like how he was in the original, because he had a different upbringing. Keep that in mind. Enjoy!**

Naruto awoke to the beeping of his alarm. He and his father lived in a place inside the Hokage Tower and it was fairly large.

Next, Naruto quickly got dressed and went downstairs, only to find that his father wasn't there. There was a note on the kitchen table.

 **Naruto,**

 **Something came up, so I won't be back until tonight. Please behave yourself, okay?**

 **Good luck,**

 **Dad**

He made himself some ramen and took the slip of paper that had the room number on it and headed to that location. Some people stared at him as he moved throughout the halls, but he didn't care, and stayed focused on his objective.

Then, Naruto entered the classroom. Inside, there was a black-haired ninja and a pink-haired one. The girl seemed to be trying to get the other's attention, but he just gave her the cold-shoulder.

"Oi!" Naruto greeted.

"Who are _you_ supposed to be?" the pink-haired one sassily asked.

"I'm Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze. You?"

'The fox brat, huh?' the black-haired boy thought. 'This will be more interesting than I thought.'

"Sakura Haruno. I was one of the smartest people in the class, though I was still behind Sasuke and Shikamaru. I was tied with Ino for most of my time at the academy."

Naruto didn't recognize any of those names."

"So, you're Sasuke?" Naruto questioned.

"Yeah. Sasuke Uchiha."

"The last surviving member of the Uchiha clan, huh? I hope you live up to your family name like I live up to mine."

"I'm better than my name," Sasuke said, smirking, though Naruto didn't believe it, since he wasn't even a full Genin.

"I'll believe it when I see it."

"Sasuke was the top at just about everything! Shikamaru was the only one that was able to outsmart him," Sakura bragged.

Naruto still wasn't convinced. He wasn't sure that she was as smart as she claimed. She didn't act like it. She probably stretched the truth a little.

"You're not as bright as you're saying. You were behind Shikamaru, me, Ino, for a fair portion of your time there, Neji, and Lee had far better results in combat. Bragging isn't getting you anywhere," Sasuke deadpanned.

"Fine! Don't expect me to stick up for you next time!"

Naruto tried hard not to laugh. How did she get paired with two people that were clearly way above her level? The Neji or Shikamaru guys should've ended up on their team. They would be unstoppable! Sakura would probably end up holding them back! Not that he would say it, though. He was willing to give her a chance to prove herself.

The door slowly pushed open and Naruto smirked. He tossed a kunai in that direction. When the door opened, the man he assumed was Kakashi seemed to have caught it with no effort.

"Who's the wise guy that decided to throw this?" Kakashi asked.

"Me," Naruto boldly answered.

"Ah, you're Minato's brat."

Naruto didn't say anything, because he knew that Kakashi didn't need any clarification. Besides, Kakashi knew Minato for years, so he should be able to tell that Naruto and Minato were related just by looking.

"Yeah, and you're his student," Naruto remarked.

"And, you're mine, so don't get too cocky."

Sakura looked between the two nervously, and Sasuke watched, knowing that the ending would be peaceful.

They ended up going outside. The three students sat beside each other, while Kakashi stood before them.

"Say your names, something about yourselves, and why you want to become a ninja," Kakashi instructed.

Naruto went first.

"I am Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze. I have the Ninetailed Fox inside of me, I like ramen, and I want to become a ninja to honor my father's legacy and my mother's sacrifice."

…

Everyone already knew that, except Sakura, but Kakashi was surprised. He didn't expect Naruto to say that, because of the reaction people always gave him. Naruto must've thought he should tell them, because they wouldn't be able to work together properly, since he used fox chakra for most, if not all, of his attacks.

"Y-You're the one from twelve years ago! The one that got the monster fox sealed inside of them!" Sakura exclaimed, fearfully.

"I have no intention of eating you," Naruto blankly stated.

"Shouldn't you have already known that? It's common knowledge that the fox was sealed inside the Hokage's son," Sasuke commented, making Sakura cross her arms and make a pouty face.

"Next!" Kakashi said, trying to change the subject.

"I am Sakura Haruno! The thing I like is... uh..."

She made lovely eyes at Sasuke. Naruto was disgusted at the sight, and Sasuke didn't seem to found of her answer either, but neither said anything.

"And the thing I want to do is 'squeee!' And, I want to become a ninja because I want to become better than my rival who is also trying to become one! And, there's also someone I want to compliment me..."

Sakura glanced at Sasuke when she said that, but Sasuke completely ignored her, and gazed ahead, in a brooding position.

Kakashi wasn't impressed. The only reason she wanted to become a ninja was to beat her rival and to impress Sasuke? Wasn't a ninja supposed to be a sworn protecter of the village? He'd be surprised if she passed the next test.

Naruto at least had some conviction. He was trying to become good enough to carry on his family legacy. Minato clearly influenced that.

"Guess I'm next. I'm Sasuke Uchiha. I don't really have anything I like, and there isn't really anything to say about me, but the reason I want to become a ninja is..."

His pause made everyone stare at him, including Kakashi, though Kakashi already had an idea of what he would say.

"I have someone I need to kill."

That made everyone go silent.

Kakashi knew what happened to the Uchiha's. They were assassinated by a single ninja: Itachi Uchiha. Sasuke's elder brother.

'So, he wants vengeance, huh? He's going to be a handful.'

…

Naruto watched the raven haired ninja. He wanted revenge too, huh? Just like Naruto's father...

The problem with Minato's revenge that the one who killed Kushina was somewhere where he couldn't be harmed: In Naruto and Minato themselves. The only way to kill the fox would be for Minato to kill Naruto, his own son, and himself, and Naruto knew that Minato being self-aware of a responsibility to protect Naruto and the village was what kept him moving.

"What about you?" Sakura asked, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"Huh?"

"Your our sensei, so shouldn't you tell us about yourself?"

The girl had a point, though, what was there to tell?"

"My name is Kakashi Hatake. There isn't much I like, there's nothing interesting about me, and I'm already a ninja."

"We learned nothing but his name!" Naruto and Sakura said.

…

Naruto already knew something about Kakashi, but he should've said something, for Sakura and Sasuke's sake. They had the right to know about him, since he would be their sensei too.

"Meet me at the training field in the forest tomorrow at dawn."

"Are we getting a mission?" Sasuke questioned.

"Something like that. Don't be late."

And, he was gone.

 **A/N Next chapter, you'll get to see the bells challenge! This will be the first time you'll see this version of Naruto fight! Stay tuned!**


	3. Chapter 3: Bells Challenge

Chapter 3: Bells Challenge

 **A/N Here it is! Keep in mind that Naruto is smarter, but not the god level kind like how he is in some fics. He's still a twelve year-old that hasn't been on a real mission. He's not extremely op, but he has more abilities than the start of the original. Some may look familiar, while others require more fox chakra.**

Naruto woke up shortly before dawn to find that his father had already left the house. He wasn't surprised. His dad hadn't been home much as of late, so it didn't surprise him.

On the way out of his room, Naruto opened up a chest that rested beside his bed and pulled out a short sword. There was a long sword as well, but he didn't feel like it was necessary to bring it, since it was obviously just going to be used for a training exercise. The sword had the Uzumaki symbol on the sheath.

He met Sasuke and Sakura by a place that had a tree stump.

"Where's our sensei?" Sakura asked.

"I don't know," Sasuke responded.

Naruto recalled that in the past, there were a couple times where his dad said something about him having to meet Kakashi somewhere, but didn't leave till a couple hours after the scheduled time.

"Gah, how could I have been so stupid?" Naruto asked, himself.

"What is it?" Sakura questioned.

"There have been times where my dad went to meet Kakashi, but didn't leave till a couple hours after the scheduled times. If I remember correctly, he said something like-"

 _"_ _That man is always late."_

"I screwed up! We're going to be here for hours!"

"Damn right you did!"

Sasuke bopped his head. The guy clearly wasn't a morning person.

"And, we didn't get to eat anything," Sakura moaned.

"We should stay silent, so we don't waste our breath and energy."

"Good idea," Naruto agreed, still angry at himself.

The three sat beside each other. The sun peaked over the trees and began to heat the area up. A couple hours passed before their sensei arrived.

"Hello!" Kakashi greeted, popping up out of thin air.

"We waited here for two whole hours!" Naruto yelled.

"Yeah! What kind of sensei are you?!" Sakura accused.

"Sorry, on the way here, there was a stray cat on the side of the side of the road and I had to get it some food."

"Liar!" Naruto and Sakrua shouted.

…

Sasuke stayed silent the whole time. He wasn't going to lower himself to start acting like those idiots, even if they were right. Besides, if the man was certified to become a sensei, he must have a fair amount of skill, so he was going to wait around to see what it was, since he needed to become stronger in order to complete his goal. Besides, Naruto was the Ninetailed Fox, so he was probably very skilled as well. It would be a shame to become distracted and miss something.

"Anyway, I might as well tell you why you are here. Today, your objective are these."

He gestured to two bells that dangled down from his hand that grasped them.

"Bells?" Sasuke questioned, much to his own dismay.

"Yes. I will hide two bells in the area. Whichever ones get the bells will pass and the one who doesn't will fail. Oh, and whoever fails will not get any lunch and will have to watch everyone else eat their own. Good luck!"

He vanished in a cloud of smoke, leaving the others shocked.

"Eh?!"

…

Sakura watched her teammates as they started to head off and search for their sensei. Would he really fail the loser? Sakura knew she wasn't the best at combat yet, but she was technically not a professional ninja, and she was to old for the academy! She would rather die than go back there!

She noticed that Naruto and Sasuke hid in some bushes and realized that Kakashi stood in the middle of a clearing, so she joined them. They all observed the man, who hadn't seemed to have noticed them yet.

'Okay, Sakura, you can do this. Sasuke is watching,' she thought, encouraging herself.

She grabbed a kunai and was about to go out, only for Sasuke to latch onto her wrist. Sakura pulled back, surprised. Sasuke shook his head.

"What else should I do, just watch?" she found herself whispering, to him.

"Naruto is going to attack first, and when he does, I'll follow. After our attacks, it'll be up to you to keep him distracted," Sasuke whispered, into her ear.

Sakura nodded and faced Kakashi, tightly gripping her kunai.

Clones of Naruto popped into existence, along with a sword that each one carried. He tried to hit Kakashi from behind, but Kakashi used Substitution Jutsu and avoided it by turning into a tree stump. He reappeared behind one of the Naruto clones and Sasuke threw shuriken from behind, with a kunai hidden in the bunch. The kunai had a paper bomb attached to it, and exploded when it came in contact with Kakashi's mask.

"Now!" Sasuke demanded, rushing away with Naruto.

Sakura braced herself, preparing for the smoke around her sensei to clear.

…

Naruto smirked and darted forward, keeping his senses heightened, while he searched for the bells.

'Kurama!' he thought.

Fox chakra entered his veins, his pupils became slits, and his eyes turned crimson. Naruto's senses increased, so he was able to sense what exactly his surroundings were. For example, living creatures lit up red and grey surrounded non-living things. Some rabbits hopped by, and birds flew, but other than that, he didn't detect any other life, since Sasuke went a separate direction.

A small object on the forest floor below a tree was detected. Naruto ran over there and deactivated his chakra, since he could see the object perfectly. He smirked. It was one of the bells, and his sensei was no where to be found.

However, Naruto was no idiot. He knew that his cunning sensei would've set a trap, so he sent a clone forwarth, and sure enough, a rope tied itself around his clone's foot, dragging them up into the air. The clone poofed and Naruto ran over and grabbed the bells.

Naruto assumed that the purpose of the mission was to work together, and he and Sasuke proved that they could come up with a plan in order to complete their goal, even though they might not see eye-to-eye. The real question was if Sakura was capable of holding Kakashi off for even a second.

Honestly, how did she even graduate from the academy? She didn't have any other goals than to get with Sasuke, who hadn't even taken notice of her! Hell, the guy didn't even look like he was searching for a girlfriend!

'You are a smart kid, Naruto. You know who can achieve greatness and who doesn't, and you can use that to your own advantage. I'm glad you're my host instead of some dumb brat,' Kurama stated, in his mind.

'Well, I have to be, because someday, my dad will get old, and he'll need a successor, and I'm the only one in the village besides him that has enough power to catch notice, and that gets training that will help reach that position. Most people around Konoha aren't even close to being calcified.'

'You got that right. Now, go bring the bells back and become a ninja! I can't wait to see what you do with your new title!'

'You won't be disappointed, Kurama.'

A bit earlier with Sakura...

Sakura tossed kunai at her sensei, and he blocked them with his own with ease. He created two Shadow Clones, and she created some of her own, though they weren't Shadow Clones, but a weaker version of clones. She threw shuriken, and one of her clones got behind him, and attempted to slice his ankle, got only an inch away, but was hit in the leg with a spin-kick, causing it to disappear.

"I gotta say, Naruto and Sasuke aren't as bad as I expected them to be. They really did a good job planning this out."

Kakashi stood in a tree and watched her, but she didn't let her guard down.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"You haven't figured it out? I thought you were supposed to be bright, but I guess I expected to much. Naruto and Sasuke used you to distract me, so they could go get the bells. The plan wasn't bad, even though if I wanted, I could send clones after them."

"No, they wouldn't! You're lying!"

She threw a kunai at him and he blocked it, before jumping down after her.

"It doesn't matter either way, because by now, I'm sure they have already completed their objective."

Sakura fought back the tears that threatened to come out. She knew he was right, but didn't want to admit it, since she thought they would be kind enough to give her credit for holding Kakashi off, despite the fact that she knew that in a real fight, he would've obliterated her.

Kakashi caught a kunai with two fingers, but it wasn't her own. It was one that Sasuke threw.

"Hello, sensei," Sasuke said, with a smirk, while he held the bells, showing them in their full glory.

Naruto stood there too, looking happy.

"Guess I didn't need this after all. Maybe I'll have use to it once I become a full Genin," he remarked, gesturing to his sword.

"Let's go back. It's time for lunch, and Sakura, you don't get any."

She sulked the whole way back, afraid to ask him the big question.

"What happens to me, since I failed?" she questioned.

"You go back to the academy," he blankly responded.

"It's be fine, Sakura. You'll learn more and come back better!" Naruto encouraged, while he stuffed his face.

"Yeah, you weren't ready to become a ninja anyway," Sasuke said.

That was it.

Tears sprung loose.

"This is all your fault! I just wanted you to accept me, hell, I would die for you, yet you used me! Used me like a tool! Sasuke, Naruto, I hate you!"

…

Sakura stormed off, and Kakashi didn't even try to stop her.

"Well, this is troublesome. I thought you guys would all try to attack me on my own, and then you would fail, and one would still end up in the lunch situation, and then you would give that person food. I didn't thing you and Sasuke would plot against her."

Sasuke's smirk returned.

"That bitch couldn't do anything even if she tried. You didn't even fight against her even a bit seriously. I bet me and Naruto together would make you have to fight back at least a little."

"You have to at least acknowledge her effort. She actually had the guts to stand against me while you two ran away. Many aren't brave enough to do such a thing," Kakashi reminded.

"True," Naruto agreed. "But, she didn't have strong enough morals to complete the training to become a Jounin and that's what really matters. Maybe now, she'll get Sasuke out of her head and focus on her training. I'm looking forward to seeing her in the big leagues, if she ever overcomes this."

…

A day passed, and Sakura was still depressed. She hadn't heard from her supposed-to-be sensei since the training, and hadn't left her bed. Her mom tried to appease her, but that only made things worse.

Then, there was a knock on the door, and her mom went to answer it.

"Hello?" Sakura heard her mom ask. "Yeah, she's upstairs. I'll call her down. Sakura, your sensei has come to speak with you!"

She groaned, wobbled out of bed, and sulked as she walked downstairs, almost tripping on a step. Her eyes were all baggy and red, since she hadn't got much sleep, and she spent most of the previous night crying.

"What?" she demandingly asked.

"The Hokage wishes to speak with you."

"Really?" her mom and Sakura questioned, at the same time.

"Yes. He said it involves your future as a ninja, and requested to see you as soon as possible."

Sakura entered the Hokage's room with Kakashi, and he did the introduction.

"Sakura Haruno is here to see you," Kakashi said.

The chair by the desk spun around, and revealed Minato Namikaze, Naruto's father, the Fourth Hokage.

"Hello, Sakura. Please, come forward."

She approached his desk and Kakashi guarded the door, watching the two interact.

"What is it you want with me, Hokage?"

"Please, just call me sensei. It's a term you will call me often if you accept my offer."

"Offer?"

"My son, Naruto, told me about what happened. I saw that Kakashi failed you and wanted you to be sent back to the academy, but I saw potential in you, since Kakashi complimented your bravery, and he does not compliment people that often. Many are afraid to take action, and being able to take action is the most important requirement as a ninja."

"Thank you, but why did you really call me here?" she asked. "I know it wasn't just to praise me."

"You're right. Like I said earlier, I have an offer. You see, I'm hoping to train enough ninjas to help achieve a certain goal of mine. You can get better training, without having to be sent to the academy, if you cooperate," he explained.

"Will I have to deal with Naruto?"

"I will try to make it so you never interact, though someday, when you and he complete your training, you may have to do so. I'll tell you everything when you're ready. So, do you accept, or do you want to spend a few years at the academy, while everyone else moves forward?"

"I accept," she stated, without any hesitation.

There was no way that she would be able to face anyone, especially Ino, if she was sent back there. Someday, she would surpass Naruto and Sasuke, even though Naruto had the Ninetails, and become the best ninja. She would bloom, even if it killed her.

"Meet me here tomorrow, and we'll start your training. You are dismissed. Oh, and feel free to tell your mother about the training, but to not mention the part about my plan. If she finds out, you both will be dealt with."

She nodded, becoming less interested in what he wanted to do with her.

Sakura got up and headed to the door, where Kakashi walked her out.

"I look forward to working with you, someday," Kakashi said.

Sakura scoffed, but didn't speak. Like she was going to forgive him that easily.

Soon, Konoha would be introduced to a new Sakura Haruno, and Sakura could not wait.

 **A/N Well, that took a different turn than I was expecting. You won't see a lot of her early on, but she'll do more later. Three is the normal team number, but in my version, there are occasions where there could be one less number, or an extra.**

 **See you next time!**


	4. Chapter 4: First Mission

**A/N The Land of the Waves mission is going to start soon! This will be an intro chapter, and you will also get to see more of Sakura! Plus, you will learn more about what Naruto is actually capable of! Enjoy! And, sorry for the late update! I was busy over the weekend.**

A brown cat sat under the shade a tree offered. It licked its paw, carefully. Then, a shadow of a fox appeared before it, and the cat bounced away, seconds before a blond spiky-haired ninja jumped on the spot where it was moments before. The cat tried to retreat, only to be caught in a net trap, that had kunai to stick it to the ground.

"Good job, Sasuke," Kakashi complimented. "Let's take it back."

…

"Thank you for giving me Mr. Snuffles back!" the old lady said, while cradling the poor cat tightly in her arms.

"Yeah, yeah," Naruto muttered.

The Third Hokage watched them from the distance. The old lady took her cat away and headed home.

"When are we going to get an actual mission? We are more than qualified," Naruto persuaded, with his hands behind his head.

"Sorry, but you guys just barely became Genin. You need to be at least a Chuunin before expecting any harder missions. Besides, your father wouldn't appreciate it if you went out of your league."

"I don't care about what he wants! I want to go on a harder mission, now! I won't be able to improve if you hold me back!"

The third looked at Naruto. He knew that Minato wouldn't approve of sending Naruto on a mission, but perhaps a bit of a push wouldn't hurt. The boy needed to understand what being a ninja meant, and if he never learned what was out there, he wouldn't understand the risks. It was the same for the stubborn Uchiha, who wished to go after a mass murderer that was the strongest Uchiha known since ancient times.

"Very, well."

"Really?"

"Yes. Come by, tomorrow. I'll give you the details then."

…

Sasuke couldn't believe it. He secretly wanted to go on a harder mission himself, but he knew the risks. He also knew that it was probably the hokage's way of showing the what was out there, so it would probably be dangerous.

"Look at what you got me into," Kakashi muttered, while holding his book in his hands. "Now, I won't have anytime to read."

"Sensei, you can finish your romance novel later. We have a mission to prepare for," Naruto stated.

"It's not a romance novel! It's true art!"

"Whatever."

Naruto had a point. They really needed to gather their equipment, and talk about the mission, in case something went wrong. Anything could happen, after all.

…

"You are giving him a mission?!"

"It seems like the right thing to do. The boy has a large ego, and it could get him killed. I'd rather have it extinguished at a young age, then it being to late."

"You should've spoken to me first."

"Minato, someday, Naruto is going to accomplish great things, and so will the Uchiha. You might as well let them have a head start."

Minato sighed. He wasn't happy with Sarutobi, but he had a point. Naruto had to mature, and he had to mature fast.

"Fine, but C-Ranks only, got it?"

Sarutobi nodded.

"I will give him the easiest one on the list. Hopefully, it won't be too troublesome."

"You may go. I have some things to get back to."

The third left, and Minato disappeared in a cloud of smoke. He reappeared in a lower level of the tower, next to another shinobi.

"How is her training going?" he asked.

"She is very persistent, but it is results that count. She has a long way to go, but she will learn. She has improved, since the first time we trained."

The pink haired girl tossed kunai towards targets. Some hit, while a few missed, but she didn't get a single bulls-eye.

"That girl has been training all day, non-stop. I'm surprised her limbs haven't given out yet," the trainer stated. "You picked out a good one. If I may ask, where did you find her?"

"She was someone who was put on a team that didn't see her full potential. I am merely helping her find it," Minato answered, before reverting his gaze back to her.

"Sakura, you can take a brake now," the instructor said.

"But, I'm so close! I can feel it!"

"You need to rest, before you collapse. If you collapse now, you won't do too well, tomorrow."

"Okay, Tai Sensei," she said, clearly not happy about his words.

Sakura entered a separate room, and was handed a bottle of water.

"Thank you, sensei, hokage."

"No problem. You are my hardest working student, so you deserve a break every now and then."

Tai left, and Minato was able to have some alone time with her.

"Once you are done with your training, I will be able to let you in on a little plan of mine, if you wish to be a part of the mission that will shape the village's future."

"Will I ever have to work with Naruto and Sasuke?" she asked.

"I will try to keep them away from you, but someday, you may have no choice. However, by then, the only one that will probably rival you will be Naruto, unless Sasuke received some unexpected training. In fact, Naruto is the only one that I would ever allow to surpass you. Besides, no one else, but me can take him on at full power."

"Why is that, hokage?" she questioned.

"What I am about to tell you is a secret that only a few people know. After the ninetails power was sealed inside Naruto, there was some left over. The fox is powerful, so some means that there was more power than most can hope to attain in one lifetime. I split the power up, because I didn't want Naruto to become too powerful, in case he ever lost control, or was turned to the dark side. Many thought that Naruto was only one with that power, but they are wrong. They only know as the one who sealed it inside him, after my wife's passing."

"Can Naruto use the fox chakra?"

"Some, but he is nowhere close to mastering it. In fact, he can't even use half of its potential."

"So, what can he do?" she questioned.

He wasn't sure if it was a good idea to tell her, since it was possible that she would go after him for revenge, but they would probably have to work together someday, so it sounded like something that had to be done. Besides, even if she tried to go after Naruto, Minato, and Naruto himself, along with many others, could stop her, so it was no big deal.

"He can use Shadow Clones, Fox Beam, which is a laser that he can use with the red chakra, and Rasengan. Plus, he has regenerative abilities, and can have super speed while using the fox chakra. Ninetails can take over his body if the combat gets out of control, and stop it himself, so that is another thing we have to worry about. Oh, Naruto also knows how to use his sword well, along with shuriken, paper bombs, and kunai."

…

Sakura couldn't believe it. Naruto was so advanced, yet he just became a Genin. No wonder he had such a big ego.

"Naruto can do a lot of stuff, but he is still in training, so he can only use those techniques to a certain level. Remember, you can still catch up to him if you train hard."

"Thank you, hokage. Now, can I please get back to my training?"

"It is already late. You should get back home to your family. I am sure that they should have dinner ready soon. You need to regain your strength for tomorrow. The training only gets harder from here."

"Very, well. See you tomorrow, hokage."

The two exited the room, and Minato watched her exit the tower. Naruto should be home. He needed to get back home.

…

The next day, Naruto headed to the hokage tower. He was surprised that his dad didn't yell at him, since he was usually quite protective. The mission probably wasn't a difficult level, so that was probably why. All his dad said was 'good luck' and he sent Naruto off, but of course, he made sure Naruto had enough kunai, shuriken, and paper bombs to completely carry his tool case.

Even though the guy could be bad sometimes, he still tried to be a decent father, because Naruto was the only family he had left, and Naruto respected that.

He arrived at the tower where Sasuke was. The third sat there, patiently awaiting him.

"Welcome," the third greeted.

"Where is Kakashi?" Naruto asked.

"Late again," Sasuke responded.

"Of course he is," Naruto muttered. "And, on the day of our first mission."

"Yo!"

Naruto heard his sensei's voice, but it came from outside. Kakashi was sitting on a windowsill, while he read his pervy book.

"Sorry I'm late. You see, there was this dog, and I just had to pet it."

"Liar," Naruto muttered, as Kakashi slipped in through the window, and closed it behind himself afterwards.

"So, what's the mission?" Kakashi asked, the third.

"Your mission is to guide a man to the Land of the Waves. Come in!"

Naruto and Sasuke stared at the door. Was the customer a priest, a lord, a hunter? He could be anything!

The door cracked. Sweat formed on their cheeks. They refused to blink, afraid they would miss the grand entrance.

"Good morning!"

An old man that wore a farmers had burst in the room. He had travel gear on his back, and had a beard, and a bright smile.

"Eh?!" Naruto exclaimed, as he felt the disappointment coarse through his veins.

"Hm? Who is this brat?"

"Brat?!"

Naruto could tell that even though Sasuke had a good poker face, he was still laughing inside. Kakashi looked like he wanted to make a face-palm, but he just watched the occasion.

"Who are you calling a brat?! I'm going to be the one protecting you!"

The old man glanced down at Naruto.

"You?"

Then, he burst out laughing.

"Why you-"

Naruto was tempted to unsheathe his sword, but refrained from doing so, especially since he was in front of the hokage, his sensei, and teammate.

"Naruto, no matter how annoying he is, we still have to escort him to the village," Sasuke reminded. "It's our duty as ninjas."

"I know. Sorry."

"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Tazuna, and I hope you get me to my home safely, because if you don't, my family will take your heads."

'That old man,' they all thought.

"We better get going. We should try to cover as much ground as possible before dark," Kakashi advised.

"Yes, that is a good idea," the third stated. "I hope to see you all back, safe and sound."

"Will do!" Naruto said. "See you later!"

Then, they all left the building, while the third stared at their backs the whole time.

 **A/N That's it! The mission has officially begun! How different will things be without Sakura around? Find out soon!**


	5. Chapter 5: Enter-Tazuna

**A/N This chapter will be based on when they are going to the Land of the Waves. They should be arriving in the village next chapter. Enjoy!**

Naruto wasn't very happy with the arrangement. They literally could've chosen anyone else, yet it had to be a drunk old bridge builder. He would deal with it, because it was his first mission, but that was his only motivation.

"I can't believe I have to watch over this guy..." Naruto muttered.

"And, I can't believe that this squirt is my bodyguard," Tazuna deadpanned.

Naruto couldn't tell if it was intentional or not, but it still aggravated him.

'Couldn't I have gotten a shrine maiden to protect instead?' Naruto thought.

"Who are you, anyway?"

"I am Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze, and I am going to be the best ninja in the village," Naruto answered, with a bit of pride behind his words.

Unlike a lot of the Shinobi Konoha had to offer, Naruto had an extremely large amount of chakra to use at his advantage. It already came in handy, and once he mastered it, there wouldn't be many left that could possibly defeat him. His master was the Fourth Hokage, so there was definitely no way he could lose!

"You? You look like you can't even capture a cat on your own."

Naruto could've heard that he heard Sasuke chuckle, since that sentence gave Naruto a callback to when he was barely able to capture a woman's pet. It irked him when he was underestimated, since he had been through way more training than most people his age.

"Hey, I am the Fourth Hokage's son, and I am stronger than many ninja already! Take that back!"

"Give it a rest, Naruto," Sasuke dissuaded.

"Naruto, we won't cover any ground this way. Let's pick up the pace," Kakashi advised, getting Naruto to move along.

"Hey, are there any ninjas in the village?" Naruto asked, out of pure curiosity.

"No, the Land of Waves doesn't have any ninja, but in certain hidden villages, there are. The size of a village, and whether or not it contains shinobi is a symbol of its strength. In most cases, smaller villages with no shinobi or a small police force know better than to mess with the Elemental Nations, but every now, and then, a village with a small army that has powerful recruits will rise up, but their revolts usually don't end well," Kakashi explained. "But, the villages are not under direct control of the Elemental Nations. There is the Village Hidden of the Leaves of the Hidden Fire, the Village Hidden in the Mist of the Land of Water, the Village Hidden in the Clouds of the Land of Lightning, the Village Hidden in the Sand of the Land of Wind, and the Village in the Rocks of the Land of Earth. Those are the main shinobi nations of the land. Only the leaders have the name Kage, as you know pretty well."

Naruto knew most of what he explained, but some of it was new. He didn't know much about outside places, since he hadn't been to any.

"There is the Hokage, Mizukage, Raikage, Kazekage, and the Tsuchikage, and they are known as the Five Kages. They are the ones in charge of all the shinobi in each of the Elemental Nations."

"This brat doesn't even stand a chance against them!" Tazuna remarked, irritating Naruto again.

But, he was right. As Naruto was currently, he stood no chance in a fight against any of them. Hell, he could barely fight against his dad.

Naruto knew what his father was capable of, so the others had to be pretty incredible as well. He wondered if he would ever get the chance to meet any of the others.

...

Later, they began to walk in silence, and Naruto passed by a puddle. Kakashi looked down at it, but said nothing. As soon as they walked by, a ninja poked his head out, and stared at the group's backs. Water surrounded him in small strands, and he tossed his partner at the group.

"Look out!" Naruto exclaimed, to Kakashi's surprise.

Naruto drew his sword, and Sasuke, and Kakashi got into their battle-stances. Kakashi was tied up by their weapon, which was little metal disks that had holes in the centers, and there were spikes around the outside.

As soon as he was able, Naruto ran forward, and cut through one of the chains that was attached to Kakashi, and made it, so the ninja could no longer grasp its handle. Sasuke threw his kunai at the ninja's partner, and caused him to retreat behind a tree.

"Sensei!" Naruto called, as he began to free his teacher.

"Looking for this?"

When Kakashi turned his head, he saw that Sasuke managed to get the ninja tied up in his own weapon.

"Sasuke!" Naruto exclaimed, with a smile.

The other ninja was still free. He tried to run around, and take Naruto out, but Kakashi hit him in the head, and caught him. Kakashi then proceeded to capture both ninja.

"Tazuna, I have something I would like to talk to you about," he stated. "These are Chuunin that came from the Hidden Mist Village. They will fight until they go down. Normally, puddles of water woundn't be around on days when it is as hot as today."

"Why did you let these kids fight if you knew?" Tazuna asked.

"I could've killed these guys right away, but I needed to know who their target was."

"What do you mean?"

"I needed to know if it was you or me or any of my students that were being targeted. You never told us about being targeted by ninjas."

…

Sasuke thought something seemed odd about the mission. The fact that Tazuna knew something they didn't explained everything. Why else did he need ninja for guards when he could easily hire a normal warrior that didn't have chakra? It was all adding up.

"This was supposed to be a mission to protect you from juvenile criminal, but this mission could now classify as a B or higher. Mr. Tazuna, what is really going on here?" Kakashi stated.

"The tougher the mission, the more it costs. I would've paid for the mission to be harder, but I didn't have enough money, so I had no choice. Please, hear me out."

They all looked at each other. Since he was willing to waste their time, they should at least hear him out.

"Very, well," Kakashi decided, to Sasuke's surprise. "We'll hear you out, but no promises on whether or not we'll continue the mission."

Tazuna nodded.

"Very, well."

…

In a building somewhere hidden in a forest, there was a man in a suit who seemed to be yelling at some fighters that were most likely ninja.

"I used a lot of money for you, because you said you were the best, so get back there and-"

A large sword came crashing down. The man with long pants, bandages covering his face, spiky black hair, and an almost bare chest that only had some odd straps going over it was there pointing his sword at the business man.

"I will kill him with my head chopper!" he declared.

The blade was over a foot long. It was made to do severe damage, and was capable of killing even those with chakra.

"Are you sure this will work? The enemy has hired guards to protect the target, and they are also shinobi," the business man said.

"I am Zabuza Momochi, Demon of the Hidden Mist, and I will kill them all!"

The battle may have been won, but the war was just beginning.

…

Minato was shuffling through some papers on his desk when the wind blew. He looked outside, and felt a chill go through his spine like an evil omen. Something was going to happen, and whatever it was was going to be very bad.

 **A/N The intro to this arc is just about over! Soon will be the real deal!**


End file.
